A Grieved Farewell
by LadyPiratte
Summary: A daughter of the King and Queen of Gondor reflects on the passing of the king and the leaving of the Queen to pass under sweet shadows.


**A Grieved Farewell: A Lord of the Rings: Fourth Age FanFiction **

It had been a year, maybe more since the departure of King Elessar, Aragorn, her father. She preferred departure rather than death, for it was still to fresh to use that word, at least for herself. Gondor and Anor had mourned deeply for the loss of the great king, but she believed that her mother, Queen Arwen, the fairest of fair, had taken his passing the hardest.

Arinél had watched her mother turn cold and grey and the light she loved left her fair mother's eyes. She worried deeply for her mother, often scripting it in her journal, daring not to speak it aloud. Her mother cried often alone, not letting anyone know that she grieved openly. Arinél knew. She was the youngest and fairest of her sisters and all that remained beside her mother that was not her brother, Eldarion. Arinél felt it her job to watch over her mother, so she knew her mother's tears.

She walked along the halls of the White City. Her finger ran along the stoned wall, somewhat happily. The sun peeked through now and then to warm her pale face when she passed a window. It was the brightest day since her father's passing and she almost felt that she could finally move on after the horrible event. It hurt her to feel lightly, yet it lifted her. It was a confusing feeling.

Arinél's contentment ended when she heard a sobbing sound coming from the study. For a moment, she didn't recognize it, but it became all to clear when she neared. Tears brimmed her bright eyes, so much like her father's, when she realized it all. It was her mother's sobbing she heard and every time she heard it, it tore open her already sore heart.

She turned the corner and stood in the doorway of the study. "Mother?"

Slowly Arwen looked up, eyes filled with tears. "My daughter, how much you resemble him."

Arinél could no longer hold herself together, the words striking a chord inside her, and she ran to her mother's knees, taking her hands in her own. "I wish you would stop crying." But even as she said it, she cried too.

Arwen reached out and touched her cheek gently and lovingly, as her mother had done to her so long ago when she sailed. She smiled weakly and stood.

Arinél watched as she began to leave. Why would she not take comfort from her or even speak to her? Fresh tears come to her eyes and she thought that she may be losing her mother as well.

"Mother?" She whispered. "Will you not allow us to comfort you? Eldarion and I still remain, let us help. You do not bear this burden alone."

Arwen paused in the doorway, but did not look back or even speak. Instead she turned and all Arinél could see was the flowing, dark material behind her, disappearing in the halls.

Arinél remained on her knees, still staring at the spot her mother had disappeared. She knew of her mother's choice; her choice to remain and become as a mortal woman and she wished with all her might that she had not choosen it; even if it meant that she would not exist. She wished that her mother would have sailed. Then at least, she would not cry so.

Wiping her eyes, she lifted herself up and looked at what her mother had been reading. They were papers written about her father and some written by himself in his hand. Arinél ran her pale fingers along the scripted words lovingly. The sun trickled in, eluminating them in clearness. She smiled at them.

"My lady," a messenger stood in hesitant attention in the door frame. Arinél turned to face him.

"The lady, Queen Arwen Evenstar, wishes to speak with you, your sisters and the King."

"Pray tell, do you know what it is she wishes to speak with us about?" Arinél asked, somewhat confused. She had just seen her mother moments before and not a word did she speak to Arinél of anything.

"I fear the worst," Eldarion approached and the messenger quickly bowed and left when dismissed. "I fear she may leave us." His eyes were brimming with tears, for he loved their mother as much as she.

A weak, "Oh," came from her lips as she crumbled into the chair her mother had occupied before. "You know this for certain?" Arinél could not imagine life without her mother.

Eldarion walked up quietly and knelt in front of her to look in her eyes, the same eyes they both shared. "It is better this way, no matter how hard. We will not see her suffer and I pray you will cry no more, dear sister." Then he took her hands and lifted her to her feet.

"Be brave Arinél, whom I will call morning star." That sentence echoed in her mind. It was spoken to her long ago by her father when she was young. She had to draw upon the strength of those words now as Eldarion led her to bid farewell to Arwen Undómiel, her cherished mother. Arinél burried her face into her palms with sobs. She could not remain brave when all she knew was leaving. She felt Eldarion wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders and take her in an embrace.

"Oh, Eldarion," she cried into his shoulder.

He rubbed her back lovingly, like the kind brother he was, then held her away. "Come, let us dry our eyes. We cannot let our mother see our tears, it may change her heart."

Arinél nodded and realized that Eldarion, too, had been crying and took a deep breathe. "You are right, as always, dear brother. Let us bid mother farewell bravely, as father would have liked."

They stood there, looking at one another for a moment before starting back down the hall. Neigther wished this day to ever come, but they knew it would. They would have had to face it sooner or later.

They came to the opening where their mother stood, Arinél's sisters standing there also. To her, her mother looked like a beautiful, but sad angel. The sun framed her, giving her a warm glow that none of them had seen around her since their father. Arwen bid each farewell and turned to depart.

Arinél bit her lip to keep it steady as her mother's figure disappeared from sight. The others turned to head inside to grieve, but Arinél let her knees finally fail her and she knelt there for all those around to see and sobbed.

"Namárië, naneth."


End file.
